Owners of a west Dorset shooting range have tightened checks and procedures after a man took his own life while on a tour of the site.

Now a coroner is urging similar establishments throughout the country to adopt the same policies to prevent another tragedy.

Brendan Allen, acting area coroner for Dorset, has written to the National Rifle Association and National Small Bore Rifle Association following an inquest into the death of Michael Woods at the Tunnel Target Sports Centre in Charmouth in October, 2019.

An inquest heard Mr Woods, aged 40, from Somerset, contacted the range to ask for a tour of the facilities, claiming he was arranging a day out for work colleagues.

That afternoon he asked for a “shooting experience” and was offered an hour’s shooting on the 25-metre range supervised by a qualified range officer.

He underwent a safety briefing and went to the range with the officer and one other person, but towards the end of the sessions and without warning he turned the rifle on himself.

He was taken to Southampton Hospital but died the following day, October 9, 2019.

Following investigations by the police and Dorset Council’s environmental health officers the site owners adopted four recommendations for improvements and, in addition, decided that in future non-club members would not be allowed to make bookings on the day they make an enquiry, allowing a “cooling off” period.

At the inquest the coroner was told that staff at the range were to be trained in identifying signs of abnormal behaviour wishing to take part and that a training officer be identified.

Emergency response exercises are also to be held periodically to improve staff response to such incidents, though this has not yet been delivered because of the Covid-19 restrictions.

Recording a conclusion of suicide, Mr Allen has urged both national bodies to adopt similar policies at all shooting ranges.

“In my opinion action should be taken to prevent future deaths and I believe your organisations have the power to take such action,” he wrote in his Regulation 28 report to prevent future deaths.

The Associations have until February 16 to respond to the coroner’s letter.